A Campus Condition
by mevie
Summary: Lucinda and Daniel have just met, their last lifetime on earth. As they face the struggles of adjusting to college life as well as the surfacing of their many pasts, they must learn to stand together.


Disclaimer: I do not own the Fallen series, which belongs to Lauren Kate, nor do I own Starbucks, sadly

Author's Note: Hi y'all! This is my first Fallen story, so I would really appreciate if you could fave, follow, and review. Thank you so much!

The first night in her college dorm room, Lucinda woke up screaming. A nightmare, just a nightmare, she told herself as her screams turned into shaking sobs. She glanced over at Nora, who was still sleeping soundly, and breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn't have to explain to her roommate that no, she didn't usually scream in her sleep, and yes, she was mentally stable.

A shiver trembled through Luce as she recalled brief flashes of her dream. A moving shadow in the corner, wings that were big enough to be fearsome, and a handful of glittery dust that somehow reminded her of death… she shook her head, as if her brain were an etch a sketch that was possible to erase. Not that she was wanting to erase everything, she thought, thinking of the boy she had met last night, the boy with the blond hair and violet eyes. Daniel. She sighed, then was brought back into the present when her eyes staring playing tricks on her, the shadows from her dream appearing in the corners of the room. Suddenly, her room felt too small, her covers too hot. The darkness was a thing that was alive, pressing on her from all angles. She felt five again, but with no one around to check for monsters under the bed. Flipping off her quilt, Luce slipped her feet into her oldest pair of slippers and padded into the hallway, then out the front door.

Being outside reminded Luce of home, back in Texas, when she and her sisters would run through the sprinklers in the sweltering heat, and jump from trees, like they had wings that would let them fly. The campus was deserted this time of night, or morning, actually, considering it was almost three AM. Sitting under a large tree, Luce closed her eyes and exhaled, the last bits of the dream shaking free of her mind like dust. Oh no, not dust, she thought, not the foul dust that had plagued her dream, something thing lighter, happier. She tried to conjure into her mind a vision of leaves floating, birds hatching, anything at all, but it was no use. She huffed angrily. Her first night at college, and she couldn't even sleep away from home. Some strong independent woman she was turning out to be.

She sat outside until the darkness began to melt from the sky, leaving behind only the pink glow of sunrise and the pink glow of nervous students' faces. They walked in groups, chattering excitedly among themselves, talking about orientations and class schedules. That should be me, Luce thought, if only my dreams weren't so screwed up! She stood, realizing she was still in her pajamas, and tried to hurry inside before someone saw her. She didn't get far, though, before she heard her name being called. She weighed her options quickly. What were the chances of being able to get back into the dorm without looking like both a colossal idiot and a huge jerk? Slim to none, she thought, and resigned herself to humiliation, looking down at her cow print pajama pants.

Turning, she saw Daniel hurrying towards her, a Starbucks coffee in each hand. She internally cursed herself, knowing she looked like an idiot. Why, of all people, did _he_ have to be the one she ran into? She waved awkwardly, and then tried to inconspicuously flatten her unruly black hair while also attempting to calm the blush in her cheeks that had appeared just at the sight of him.

"Hey, Lucinda," Daniel said as he caught up to her, grinning at both her blush and her outfit. "I saw you sitting under the tree, so I thought I would get you some coffee; it's pretty much a rite of passage to drink a ton of it on your first day, and I'm pretty sure having an upperclassman like myself get it for you gets you bonus points." He handed her one of the coffees and she laughed, trying not to ogle him; he really was gorgeous, she thought.

"Thanks," she smiled at him, and took a gulp of the drink. It was strong and energized her almost instantly. "What would I have done without you?"

He laughed. "I have a theory that you're the kind of girl who can get along pretty well by herself, Luce," he said, and she felt her insides lift.

"You're right," she replied, taking another sip of coffee to hide her growing smile. "Still, thank you, you're an angel."

The words came out flippantly, but as soon as she said them, Luce was hit with a wave of déjà vu and dizziness so bad that she dropped her coffee and reached out for Daniel's arm to steady herself.

"Luce?" she heard him say, as if from a distance. "Luce, are you okay?" she felt his arms around her, and was startled by what felt like a feather brushing her cheek.

No, she thought, as the sensation on her face disappeared. I'm not.


End file.
